Orson Scott Card's InterGalactic Medicine Show

June 2, 2008
The first collection of short stories from online magazine Orson Scott Card's InterGalactic Medicine Show
( www.oscims.com
), launched in 2005, features noteworthy SF and fantasy stories from a bumper crop of talented new authors. Four new Enderverse stories from Card will initially draw genre fans, but the stories from lesser-known writers are the compilation's real driving force. James Maxey's provocative “To Know All Things That Are in the Earth” takes a decidedly skeptical look at the Rapture; David Farland's “The Mooncalfe” puts an interesting—and unique—spin on oft-trod Arthurian legend; and Tom Barlow's brilliantly sardonic “Call Me Mr. Positive” explores isolation on a deep space mission gone tragically awry. If the quality of these stories is any indication, IGMS
has as much promise as the newcomers it showcases.

June 15, 2008
Leading off with Brad Beaulieu's story of mystery and intrigue spiced with the feel of "The Arabian Nights" ("In the Eyes of the Empress' Cat"), a prominent cat doctor defies tradition in the service of justice, while in Card's tale set in the same world as "Ender's Game", a commander makes a solo round-trip journey into the future to prepare for an invasion that will not come for many years ("Mazer in Prison"). This collection of 18 stories culled from Card's popular online magazine, "The InterGalactic Medicine Show", highlights contemporary sf and fantasy and showcases both veteran and new authors. Each story comes with a full-page illustration, and a list of illustrators appears at the end of the book. This attractive collection belongs in most sf or short story collections.

Copyright 2008 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

June 1, 2008
This collection of 17 stories from Cards e-zine takes its title from his belief that writers getting readers to suspend disbelief is like old-fashioned medicine-show hawkers convincing customers that their patented elixirs will work. On the whole, he and Schubert have selected well, even if 5 of the 17 are Ender universe stories by Card himself. The best of those is Pretty Boy, about one of Enders opponents and of a particularly horrifying form of child abuse. Highlights among the remaining dozen entries are Aaron Johnsons comics adaptation of Cards Fat Farm; Brad Beaulieus In the Eyes of the Empresss Cat, which will not necessarily make cat lovers purr; The Mooncalfe, in which rising fantasist David Farland takes a dark look at the Matter of Britain; and David Lubars Hats Off, in which dealing with a bully with magic backfires amazingly quickly. Adding value are the authors afterwords, which disclose the remarkable diversity of ways writers reach the Web or the page and how Card influences new writers.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2008, American Library Association.)